Barbarossa's Cave

I like caves. I like Barbarossa, so this was a no brainer. The cave itself is a gypsum cave, not the limestone drip caves we've visited in the past, so not as showy as say, Luray Cave in Virginia. It was discovered while prospectors were looking for new sources of copper bearing shale that was in the area in 1865. It was opened as a show cave in 1866, called the Falkenburger Cave. There's a lot of nice, lacy looking formations and subterranean ponds/lakes.

Someone with excellent marketing insight, thought about where the cave was (Kyffhäuser), the tie in with the monument and the legend of Barbarossa. The legend goes thus: Barbarossa went to sleep in a palace underground. Now, I've read several different versions. One: he'll sleep until Germany is unified and his beard grows around the table three times (it's made it two times, so I've heard), when he will emerge into a new world. Two: similar to the Arthur legends, he'll emerge in Germany's time of need (I don't know how needy it has to be, because they've had a lot of moments they could have used him). There's another about him reemerging when the ravens have departed from around the tower.

They have a table and chair, "his throne" and a mock up of his crown. You know, the one that's in the treasury in Vienna because the Hapsburgs made off with it, and the Americans gave it back to Austria after the war. I'd like to see it back in Aachen, but nobody asked me.

Der Alte Barbarossa Lied:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF5BbtMTBxc&amp…Read more